Turchynov Stated the Possibility of Full-Scale Hostilities in Donbass

Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Oleksandr Turchynov said that the clashes in Donbass can become "full-blown hostilities", reports the press service of the NSDC on Monday, May 30th.

He announced this at a meeting with the Chairman of the Seimas Parliament of Lithuania — Loreta Graužinienė. Turchynov also stressed for that Kiev, "it is extremely important to obtain military assistance from the West". "We can't meet the needs across the spectrum of weapons," he admitted.

On May 25th, Turchynov, after the attack on his wife Anna Turchynov, assured that attempts to intimidate him and his family would not succeed. Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced that a resident of the uncontrolled by Kiev territory of the Donetsk region attacked Anna Turchynov with a knife. "She was attacked with a knife, shouting: "you will respond for what you did ,**** ", — wrote the Minister.

A day earlier, Turchynov said that on May 23rd, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (UAF) suffered record losses in Donbass last year, seven soldiers were killed and nine were injured. Also, according to him, the use of strike and reconnaissance drones intensified in the combat zone.

The armed conflict in the Donbass began in April 2014 after Ukrainian authorities announced the antiterrorist operation (ATO), and Kiev attempted to forcefully suppress protests in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, caused by the change of power in Ukraine.